TEMPE, Ariz. – The Fiesta Bowl might turn out to be a national championship game after all.
A flurry of criticism swarmed the Bowl Championship Series for choosing
Nebraska – ranked fourth in the two major polls – to play top-ranked Miami in the official national title game at Rose Bowl on Thursday.
Among the more vocal critics of the BCS when it was announced on Dec. 9 were Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti and Colorado head coach Gary Barnett, whose teams were snubbed by the BCS and thus had to settle for Tuesday’s Fiesta Bowl (1:30 PST, on ABC).
But the winner of the colorful, Tostitos-sponsored bowl at Sun Devil Stadium could end up settling for a share of the national championship trophies if Nebraska upsets Miami in the Rose Bowl.
The Associated Press, which has not committed to the Rose Bowl as the
national title game, had its national championship trophy on display
throughout the week’s festivities in preparation for the Fiesta Bowl.
Both coaches said the national title implications give Tuesday’s matchup extra motivation.
“To have it here really gives (the Fiesta Bowl) legitimacy,” Barnett said of the AP trophy.
While Barnett played along with the hype, Bellotti said it does not feel like the national championship game.
“One of my coaches made the comment, ‘To win it, you have to be in it,’ and we’re not in it,” Bellotti said. “This is just the next best thing. My team realizes this is a bowl game against a great team with obvious opportunities.But it’s not anointed the national championship game.
We’re just going to go out and do our best… and make sure we take
advantage of this opportunity.”
Both coaches said that turnovers and special teams will play a huge factor in the outcome of the game Tuesday.
Oregon (10-1), looking for its first-ever 11-win season, leads the nation in fewest turnovers with 11. In wins over then-No. 1 Nebraska and then-No. 3 Texas, Big 12 champion Colorado forced a combined eight turnovers.
On special teams, Colorado (10-2) features one of the best punt returners in All-American Roman Hollowell, who averages 18 yards per return with two touchdowns this season.
While Colorado is noted for its lethal running game – three tailbacks, led by sophomore Chris Brown, have rushed for more than 500 yards this season – Barnett said senior quarterback Bobby Pesavento will have to be effective against Oregon’s secondary, which has allowed 285 yards per game.
Both teams have not played since Dec. 1, but Barnett said that Colorado’s 62-36 win over Nebraska and 39-37 win a week later over Texas have given them big-game experience and perhaps an edge against the Ducks.
“We’ve had championship pressure and we’ve obviously handled it well,”
Barnett said.
Said Bellotti of Oregon’s layoff: “Our problem is that we’ve only played one game in seven weeks. It’s been a long time and a lot of practices.I think the most important thing for us is to realize how hard we worked, how long of a season this has been and understand how valuable a victory can be.”
Emerald sports editor Adam Jude can be reached at [email protected].